This invention relates to postage metering apparatus for metering of value for use in postage or other charges for handling of items such as mail items.
Postage meters are known which operate in a so-called pre-payment mode. In the pre-payment mode of operation, a user the meter makes a payment to the postal authority and the postal authority then authorises the entry of a credit value into the meter which is then available for use in carrying out postage metering operations. During each postage metering operation, the credit value is checked to ensure that it is sufficient to meet the cost of a postage charge to be applied to a mail item and the credit value is incremented by the amount of the postage charge applied. If the credit value is less than the postage charge to be applied, the meter is inhibited from completing the postage metering operation. When the credit value remaining in the meter is zero, or is less than any required postage charge, the meter is inhibited from effecting any further postage metering until such time as an additional increment of credit is entered into the meter and added to the credit value in the meter. In another manner of operation of a postage meter in pre-payment mode described and claimed in our co-pending GB application 9609614.4 the credit value is incremented by each entry of new credit into the postage meter but is not decremented by the amount of the postage charge applied. In each postage metering operation the accumulated credit value in the meter is compared with an accumulated total amount of postage charges applied to mail items by the meter. If the credit value exceeds the total amount of postage charges by at least the amount of postage charge to be applied, the meter is permitted to complete the postage metering operation and the accumulated total amount of postage charges is incremented by the amount of the postage charge applied. Otherwise the meter is inhibited from completing the postage metering operation. Continued operation of the meter is permitted when further credit value is entered into the meter and the accumulated credit value in the meter is incremented by the further credit value so as to exceed the accumulated total amount of postage applied.
It is usual in postage meters operating in pre-payment mode to provide a warning to the user of the meter when the value in the meter is such that only a small limited amount of further postage metering is possible. However a user may overlook the warning and the meter will become inhibited. If a large batch of mail is being processed the warning may occur during processing of the batch of mail and the credit value in the meter may be such that the meter is unable to complete the processing of the batch of mail.
In order to enter further credit value into the meter it may be necessary to take the meter to a postal authority office and hence processing of mail may be disrupted by unexpected inhibition of the meter. As an alternative to taking the meter to a postal authority office the meter may be provided with a facility to permit further credit value to be entered into the meter by remote resetting of the credit value in the meter under the control of a remote resetting centre. The provision of remote resetting of the credit value in the meter aids in avoiding or reducing the disruption provided communication can be established with the remote resetting centre. However, if there is a failure in communication with the resetting centre, processing of the mail would be inhibited or disrupted.